Keyboard for key instruments



1618,546 Feb. 22,1921. E'MOOR} I V KEYBOARD FOR KEY INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 9, 1920 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

' UNITED STATES I 1,618,546 PATENT OFFICE.

EMANUEL MODE, F MONT PELERIN, SWITZERLAND.

KEYBOARD non KEY INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed Novemberfi, 1920, Serial No. 422,836, and in Switzerland April 9, 1920.

'The movements of the hands of pianists especially for executing certain diificult musical compositions, is very complicated with respect to the numerous and rapid movements which are to be made with both hands in order to reach notes or groups of notes .distant" from one another by an octave or -more. Certain compositions cannot be executed by the averagepianist owing to the difiicult hand movements necessary to their The objectof my invention is to facilitate the execution of all musical compositions and especiallyof the complicated difi'icult ones.

musical instruments as specifically set out in The invention consists in certain improvements in connection with duplex keyboard the following description and claims.

The mainfeature of the present invention embodies a mechanical. coupling device which may be Put into 't-aneously during or out of operation instanplaying at the will of the v operator, and which when in operation effects the coupling of single keys of the front keyboard to the movements of two notes an independently whether the coupler be in operation or out of operation.

octave apart, whereby actuation of an individual key of this keyboard will sound not only the note corresponding thereto, but also will sound simultaneously a note displaced by an octave from the note first mentioned,

the coupling mechanism, however, not interfering with the ability to play each keyboard A subsidiary feature resides in the application to such an instrument as is indicated above of projections upon the white keys of the front keyboard which materially facilitate simultaneous depressing of keys in both keyboards by means of one hand.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of a keyboard according to the invention:

Fig. 1' is a plan view partly broken away showing the two banks of keys.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating connection'between the keys of both keyboards and the hammer action movements actuated thereby.

' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a form of key which may conveniently be used for one bank of keys.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates a bank of keys, the disposition of which is exactly the same as in a usual pianoforte, except that the length of the keys is here a little less than usual. By means of the keys of this bank, the strings of the instrument are normally caused to vibrate as in instruments generally used. The supplementary bank of keys is designated by B; and is supported by a transverse rail 0 lying on the fulcrum pins 01 of the first bank of keys A, the rail being also provided with fulcrum pins for the keys of the bank D.- The keys of the bank B have the usual form as shown in Fig. 1 and they are connected along oblique lines as indicated at b in Fig. 1 with the striking mechanisms (levers, hammers, damper) of strings an octave higher than the aligning keys of the bank A. The keys of both banks are normally completely independent of one another; each key corresponds to' one note only, but permitting.

such note to be struck from two different points along the length of the keyboard, that is to say by means of two keys one located in each bank and distant from one another by an octave.

By means of this arrangement, it is possible to strike chords, at intervals for instance of an octave, by a simple movement of the hand forward and backward. Musical compositions ordinarily requiring crossing of the arms may be executed without the hands leaving the key-board, thus reducing the effort necessary for the execution of the composition on the usual pianoforte. This result may be obtained without necessitating further study in the art of piano playing and without any modification of existing music whatever.

In order to facilitate play rendered diflicult by the position of the black keys of the front bank between the two banks of white keys, portions of the white keys of the front bank are raised to the height of or above the black keys in a as indicated at a, but this only on a certain part of their length. This increase in height could also be made by means of projections of various types provided on each white key between the black keys of the front bank. It is possible to have white keys with a longitudinal section as shown in Fig. 3, that is to say with the raised portions of the keys gradually increasing to the height of the black ke s.

In order to give full at vantage of a keyboard constructed. in accordance with the invention, the instrument is provided with a device actuated by means of a pedal or the like (not shown), which allows the coupling at will, from octave to octave, of all notes of the front or lower range. This coupling device is represented diagrammatically by dot and dash lines in Figure 1, and is shown in detail in Figure 2. As will be clear from an inspection of Figure 2, if, after having elevated the part j about its fixed pivot on by means of a pedal (not shown), a key of the front bank A be depressed, then that key-in addition to operating its own hammermovement in the Ordinary mannerwill bear upon the tappet lever g and the seesaw lever Z will be rocked about its fulcrum t, so as to raise the tappet a. This in turn rocks the lever 0 pivoted at p, which by means of the link qin its turn rocks the escapement lever P pivoted at 5, thus operating. in well known manner the hammer of a note situated an octave above (in pitch) it being borne in mind that all the seesaw levers Z lie obliquely across the fulcrum rail tso as to couple individual keys with hammer movements which are displaced by an octave therefrom.

As regards the keys B in the upper or rearkeyboardof Figure 2, it isto be understood that these keys are permanently cranked or staggered, as represented in Figure 1 in plan, so thatindividual keys do not operate the movements which lie innnediately behind them, but operate movements displaced by anoctave.

The keyboard Whose keys are permanently displaced in this manner is shown disposed behind andabovethe keyboard which is provided with the permissive coupling device, but the relative positions of the keyboards may be transposed if desired.

'1. A musical instrument of the keyboard type havingtwo keyboards lying one behind the other and independently playable at all times, permanent motion-transmitting members for the individual keys'of one keyboard adapted to transmit obliquely movements of such keys to corresponding individual ham mer movements of a musical instrument which are displaced by an octave therefrom, and an octave coupling device for the other of said keyboards which may be put into or out of operation at will and which when in operation enables each individual key in that keyboard to sound a chord constituted by the corresponding note and a note displaced an octave therefrom.

2. A musical instrument of the keyboard type having two keyboards lying one behind the other and independently playable at all times, permanent motion-transmitting members for the individual keys of one keyboard adapted to transmit obliquely moven'ients of such keys to corresponding individual hammer movements of a musical instrument which are displaced by an octave therefrom, an octave coupling device for the other of said keyboards which may be put into or out of operation at will and projections on the white keys of the front keyboard, the upper surface of which is raised at an approximately similar level to that of the upper surface of the black keys.

3. A musical instrument of the keyboard type having two keyboards lying one behind the other independently playable at all times, cranked seesaw keys for the individual keys of the rear keyboard, the rear end of each key being adapted to coact with a hammer movement of a musical instrument displaced an octave from the note lying directly behind the front end of the key, and an octave coupling device for the keys of the front keyboard capable of being brought into or out of operation at will and comprising a seesaw lever pivoted upon a movable fulcrum rail, said seesaw lever when operated upon coacting at its front end with a front key and coacting at its rear end with a hammer movement which is displaced an octave from the note lying directly behind said key.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

EMANUEL MOOR. 

